A comedy favourite conceptualised by two actors who grew up in Parkwood and Ocean View will be back on stage next month.
Joe Barber’s Family Reunion, starring David Isaacs and Oscar Petersen, and featuring the characters Boeta Joe, Gamat, Washiela and Outjie will be staged at the Grand Arena at GrandWest for six nights. Currently there are only tickets available for the show on Wednesday November 9.
Oscar and David have been tickling their audience’s funny bones in seven versions of the Joe Barber, with the eighth one also featuring a special musical performance by multi-award-winner Early B.
This is the first Joe Barber show since 2019.
Oscar, 54, said it was their audience who had inspired them to do this particular show. “In general though, it is the need to tell stories about the people who we consider important in our lives, our uncles and aunts, friends and family and who we find interesting, mostly older people,” he said.
The show is about the aspects of family, he said, adding: “Family being the people you have the closest relationships with, they are not necessarily related. We can’t cover everything but the main message is ‘we need each other and we have to be nice to each other’.”
Oscar, who was born and raised in Ocean View, said when he was eight years old he started dreaming about being a performer.
“I obviously had no idea how I was going to do that. I was in a theatre watching The sound of music. There was a moment in which all the lights went out – like an Eskom moment – except this was part of the show. A moment later a torch light went on in the audience, It was magical. I said to myself, ‘I wanna do this’,” he said.
When asked for tips on how young people can realise their dreams Oscar said: “There is a practical, very physical side and an invisible side to reaching your goals in life. If young people don’t explore, they will not find it. For example, if you want to become a soccer player, you have to at least kick a ball as you can’t just sit and think about it. Then you have to find out if you like it and then, if you are any good at it, remember that anyone can do well at something if they really want to.”
Oscar and David wrote their own material for Joe Barber’s Family Reunion which is directed by Lara Bye and not suitable for persons under the age of 12.
Tickets are R179 each and bookings for Wednesday November 9 are now available at www.ticketmaster.co.za
